SANTA CLARA – The 49ers quietly ended their fourth training camp on Thursday without fans in attendance.
The practice session was shorter because several veterans were out on rest days, including wide receiver Deebo Samuel and outfielders Charvarius Ward and Demodore Lenoir. Linebacker Fred Warner also missed practice with what he described as “mild foot irritation,” as did wide receivers Ricky Pearsall and Danny Gray, who are both dealing with shoulder injuries.
The training began as usual with individual exercises, followed by a series of one-on-one duels between the offensive and defensive lines at one end of the field and the duel of the tight ends and running backs against the cornerbacks and safeties at the other end.
The team moved to 11-on-11 play, with a running session followed by third down drills. After the special teams kickoff, the group moved to the end of the court to complete several lines of work in the red zone and move the ball.
Here are the highlights from day 13 of the 49ers training camp:
Floyd picks up speed
Experienced defensive lineman Leonard Floyd He proved to be one of the fastest players in one-on-one games. Many defensive players, no matter how experienced, often go through an adjustment period when they first work with defensive coach Chris Kocurek – but Floyd seems to be on the right track.
The team’s starting defensive quartet appears to have participated in group drills, including Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave and Malik Collins alongside Floyd. The group seemed to have chemistry, and the four took turns entering the backfield, including the nine-year veteran who was seen harassing 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy on several occasions.
Warner announces his presence
Warner did not take the field, but his loud voice could be heard throughout the second half of practice. The linebacker stood near the weight room, about 50 yards from the action, calling out moves the offense had apparently prepared for and encouraging his teammates to comment whenever they executed those moves.
Warner has been keeping an eye on fellow center De Winters, who has had a productive camp so far, and George Odom, who could certainly start alongside Jaire Brown in Week 1 depending on Talanoa Hufanga’s health. Who returns from a cruciate ligament injury?.
“I’m really confident about the GO. I’m excited and happy for him because this is the opportunity he’s wanted for a long time and he’s been great. He’s had a great camp and been on the ball a lot,” Warner said earlier this week.
Beginners have their chance
With several experienced players missing from Saturday’s preseason opener, several new and younger players will have a chance to show their progress. On defense, Renardo Green, Malik Mustafa and Jalen Mahoney have played a fair amount of games, and that will be reflected in the team’s commitment to playing it safe with its players.
Brown spent a lot of time with all of them and gave a progress report after practice on Thursday.
“These guys are great,” Brown said. “He’s a strong, fast, built kid who understands football, and he’s a good handler, just like me goal line to goal line.”
The beginning of the game, something worth seeing
The special unit has been on the field the entire time, practicing what they plan to do on Saturday when they will have real live representatives of the new kickoff procedures.
There were several lineups of returning players, including Trent Taylor, Kyle Juszczyk, Jordan Mason, Ronnie Bell and Ty Martin. On Wednesday, Deebo Samuel was also in the group, practicing his comeback skills.
“It was interesting,” Taylor said after practice. “I don’t think anyone really knows what to expect. It’s a big experience for everyone now, learning what to do and how to train. It’s a work in progress.”
No news, no news
There has been no movement from the team or Brandon Aiyuk on the stalled contract negotiations or trade talks that have kept the star receiver off the field. The 26-year-old continues to attend the facility but has not yet been seen on the field for practice.
There were also no updates on Trent Williams, who stayed away from the facility and still received heavy fines. The standout midfielder’s fine for the thirteen days he was sidelined is now $650,000.
The team will travel to Nashville on Friday to prepare for Saturday’s game against the Tennessee Titans, which begins at 4 p.m. PT.
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